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Discrimination / Harassment

Need a good reason to settle? How about saving huge attorneys’ fees?

10/06/2008

Employers who end up losing discrimination lawsuits don’t just pay their own legal fees—they often pay the winning side’s fees, too. Always consider the ultimate cost before rejecting a settlement offer, or before pushing your own attorneys to appeal a case.

Court: Same-sex come-on isn’t worth $90,000

10/06/2008

What’s an attempted liaison by a same-sex manager worth in Texas? A jury said $90,000. Now a Texas appeals court has reversed that decision …

Texas congresswoman’s staffer loses discrimination case

10/06/2008

A federal court in Washington, D.C., has ruled against Elizabeth Howie, a 46-year-old black staffer for Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson.  Howie claimed she was fired because of her race and age …

Jury: AT&T discriminated against call center worker

10/06/2008

A Dallas County jury decided that AT&T created a hostile work environment and retaliated after a call center employee complained. The jury found that race was a motivating factor in AT&T’s repeated failure to promote Lakecious Edwards and awarded her $411,339.

Document every pay decision

10/03/2008

When you decide to give employees a pay raise—or deny them one—always document the reason. The key is contemporaneous, logical explanations. Few employees will succeed in proving that your reasonable rationale is really a pretext for some form of discrimination …

DOJ to Dayton: Diversify public safety ranks or go to court

10/03/2008

The U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) says the city of Dayton’s hiring practices have systematically discriminated against black applicants for police and firefighter jobs …

Employee out on maternity leave: How long must we hold her position?

10/03/2008

Q. How long am I required to hold a position open for an employee who is on leave due to pregnancy? …

Prayer breaks may be reasonable accommodation

10/01/2008

Gone are the days when employers could accommodate employees’ religious practices by being flexible about who worked Saturdays and Sundays. Today, employers may have to offer additional prayer breaks in the middle of the workday, too …

Follow basic rules for job descriptions, interviews to avoid hiring bias

10/01/2008

Want to avoid needless lawsuits from disgruntled applicants? Adopt some basic rules for handling the selection process, and pay special attention to the all-important job description and interview. As the following case shows, employers that follow some simple rules probably won’t lose a hiring discrimination lawsuit …

Remind bosses: They may be personally liable for discrimination under N.Y. law

10/01/2008

Sometimes, it takes a strong argument to get supervisors to pay attention. Want them to make absolutely sure no one is being harassed or discriminated against? Just remind bosses that turning a blind eye to workplace problems may cause them terrible legal and financial problems of their own …